Valerie's Birthday Gift
by Margot-Eve
Summary: Dan organizes a little birthday party for Valerie. Even the Red Huntress needs a day off. (set in my Second Chance AU, company piece to other stories I wrote so far for them)


In the past 10 years Valerie didn't have much of a mind to celebrate her birthdays. Her father sometimes tried to cheer her up in their apocalyptic lives with making half burned cupcakes for her birthday or give her small gifts but those were short lived moments and so the Red Huntress stopped celebrating them all together.

But now that the greatest threat has been removed so to speak and everyone could feel the breathe of new life. Still Valerie didn't really pay attention to her own birthdays. Now rebuilding what was destroyed took priority. She had obligations to full fill. Things to do.

Thank God Dan cared not for either of those. Everyone around Valerie seemed to get loose, organise parties, birthdays. She sometimes tended to go but didn't stay there long. Just to greet everyone, drink one or two shots and then leave. Always saying she had work to do in the morning. Most of the time she indeed did have work in the morning but sometimes she was simply lying. Dan wondered if battling him had made her a loner. He remembered her from high school, her past and present selves were so different… But even battle worn Valerie liked "girly stuff". If he was following her around the city he'd sometimes catch her stare at pretty dresses, make-up displays. Maybe she too needed to really party. Do those "girly stuff".

And she definitely deserved proper birthday party.

First obstacle to overcome in preparation of the party was that Dan had no clue when her birthdays were supposed to happen. That information he got from Damien Gray. According to her father, there was not much time left. Thankfully there were Valerie's friends. Kwan, Star and those few he didn't care to remember names of. Apparently they had similar idea as him, which was good. Dan explained his plan to them then left to deal with his own share of tasks to do.

On the day of her birthday Valerie has been literally ambushed by Star and another girl named Kate, she came to know and befriend while protecting Amity Park. The two then 'kidnapped' her to beauty parlour.

"Guys, this is really unnecessary!" Valerie tried to defend herself while the two sat her down in front of beautician who fussed over the state of Valerie's fingernails.

"Nonesense! Valerie, you always, aaaalways like worked 24/7 for Amity Park. Don't you think you should kick back for a day and let us take care of you? Plus you like need a face mask, like yesterday." Star rambled on, and Kate nodded solemnly and sighed taking a strand of her hair in her fingers.

"Too bad your hair so short. You sure don't want extensions?"

"Buzz off from my under cut." Valerie swatted Kate's hand. "It looks fine."

"Yeah but it definitely could use some conditioner." Kate mumbled with honestly doubtful expression.

"I thought this was about my birthday or are you here to criticize me?" Valerie glared at everyone around her. A chorus of apologies immediately sounded around her.

"We're just trying to help you." Star tried to get on Valerie's good side.

"Well then, you need to work on that," the ghost huntress grumbled under her breath.

Finally after she had her French manicure ready, the girls pulled Valerie to take care of her hair. Of course there was not much to do about it. In the end they just had them washed and conditioned. As a finish they placed a silver hair comb, with floral decoration, in her hair.

The whole scheme was making Valerie's head hurt. They had her dragged to make-up artist and then handed a ball gown. No one told her what was the fuss about. There was this elaborate secrecy around it. Each time she tried to ask, but she could SWEAR someone had dropped Phantom's name between the lines. If Dan was involved then that explained a whole lot. He loved these sort of surprises and games. Asshole. It was unnerving to not know what was going to happen.

At least the dress was incredibly pretty. It was sleeveless, dark red in colour. The bodice was tight fitting, decorated with Swarovski crystals put in swirly shapes. The skirt was touching the ground, here and there the material was gathered and pinned with a crystal. Valerie suspected that she had never worn a more expensive dress in her life. There were of course the elbow length gloves, matching the dress. And the shoes. Damn those shoes. It was a second battle she won that day. Star wanted to give her some ridiculously high heels but over Valerie's dead body she'd wear those. Instead she managed to win dark red shoes covered with black satin lace. The heel was much more reasonable.

Now that she saw herself in a mirror, finally alone in her room, she decided she looked like a princess, ready to be stolen by a prince for a ball. And maybe, maybe a tiny little bit she liked it. A soft smile crept up on her face as she chuckled, twirling a bit in her dress.

"You look perfect."

Valerie gasped a little, startled. "Stop doing that!" she scolded Dan and he laughed.

Of course, some girls get their prince charming, but Valerie had her asshole thief. How could she for...get? Now that she was looking at him Dan was not wearing his jumpsuit. Instead he wore a 3 piece suit, with black vest and dark red tie, matching her dress. His hair were tied with red ribbon.

"M'lady," he bowed to her with an impish smile on his face. "I think it's time to go."

"Go where?" she asked squinting at him suspiciously.

"You'll see," he offered her his arm and she took it. "Now close your eyes."

Instead she raised her eyebrow at him and he rolled his eyes.

"Trust me this once." He saw her hesitating but finally she obeyed.

"You better not let me trip, or I'll kick you," she warned him.

"I wouldn't dare," he smirked and opened a portal to Ghost Zone. Then scooped Valerie up in his arms. "Remember, eyes closed."

"Just get over this ghost."

They didn't fly far - he opened a second portal, leading out of the Zone. Dan put Valerie down gently and helped her stand in the right direction.

"Now, open your eyes."

And so Valerie did. And she had to use Dan, as a support as she gasped. When they left Amity Park it was about 4 pm. The sun was just thinking on setting. Here it was already dark night, pouring through the giant windows of a stunning ballroom. It was huge! The walls were white with golden ornaments and mirrors. The ceiling was depicting allegorical figures and gods. The sconces were everywhere, illuminating the space with warm light of the flames. It was like fairy tale.

"W-where…?" she looked at Dan with eyes wide.

"Russia, 25 kilometers away from Saint Petersburg in place called Tsarskoye Selo," he explained, taking her hand and leading her right in the middle of the ballroom.

"Why?" a bit stunned, still trying to wrap her mind around this, she let him led her.

"I wanted to give you something nice for birthday. I mean, we had that epic hunt for Valentines Day, I wanted your birthday to be different. I didn't get the idea until your dad mentioned how much you like that movie _Anastasia_ ," he placed one hand on her waist and took her hand in his other one. "Put your free hand on my shoulder," he instructed. "And if you're still wondering, I found this place while being on my 'rebuilding the world' duty. Seemed fitting."

It was hard not to snort a bit and chuckle for her. "You really went all this way for me, I'm… amazed."

"Thank you, now _Princess_ Valerie," he grinned, for once not mockingly but quite charmingly in fact. "Are you ready for your waltz?"

"I think I am. But what about music?"

Just as she asked that the first bars of waltz began to play, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Hold on" he said and they started to dance.

They swayed gently, in classic 1,2,3 and 4 steps of waltz. The music carried them across the ballroom. And for a short time being Valerie forgot that she's a battle worn fighter, The Red Huntress. Now she was just Valerie Gray, dancing with the most infuriating man in the entire world. Who held her close and firmly, letting her feel light like a feather. She didn't even noticed when he carried the dance into the air. But when she did she clung to him, wide eyed.

"Are you crazy?!" she shouted at him.

"Yes, I thought we had that one settled, a long time ago," he snickered. "I couldn't resist the classic _Casper_ move."

That made her huff, there was no fighting him there. Thankfully he landed as the song was coming to an end. He bowed to her again and kissed her hand lightly.

Okay, that made her blush. And just to fit into the scene, Valerie curtsied.

"Thanks," she added, cleaning her throat.

"You welcome. I gather you liked your first gift?"

"Yes, this was gr- Wait," she stopped mid sentence. "Ah, what do you mean by "first gift"?"

"What you heard, though I don't know what others are going to give you," his explanation wasn't exactly clarifying.

"Others?"

Dan looked over her shoulder and the doors on the other end of the ballroom opened, revealing the guests, shouting "Surprise!"

And there was her father, Star, Kwan and other people from Amity she knew. Her friends and between them a simple birthday cake. Valerie once again during this evening, looked confused at Dan who just shrugged.

Later when all the cake has been eaten, dances danced and the sun was threatening to rise in Russia, the party ended. Thanks to the multiples of Dan's, the guests got home safely. Only Valerie and the original Dan were left.

They were sitting outside of the building, on the staircase. Valerie wrapped her arms around his arm and rested her head over his shoulder. Her shoes were lying abandoned three steps below.

"Mmm," she hummed nuzzling over his arm, "thanks for the party. I didn't expect that."

"No problem. Thought you need it."

Valerie smiled at him, propping her chin over his biceps. Dan looked at her with strangely soft expression. They leaned toward each other, their noses brushed against each other, then their lips gently met in gentle caress, before pressing harder, deepening the kiss. His fingers slid over her arm and she shivered.

"Let's get you home," he said after breaking the kiss.

"Okay."

They got up and Dan gathered Valerie in his arms again and they left through the Ghost Zone portal.

* * *

A/N: The music that plays during their waltz is "And the Waltz Goes On" composed by Anthony Hopkins and conducted by Andre Rieu. Tsarskoye Selo is a real location, mentioned in "Anna Karenina" book, the ballroom build for Tsarina Katherina. I suggest you google that ballroom because it's the most beautiful thing ever.

The dress Valerie wears is here: margoteve. tumblr post / 138810957400 /a-dress-for-valerie-which-she-wears-in-my-one (just remove spaces).

Also the dress was rented :P Val was quite disappointed that she had to return it lmao.

I believe this whole thing is thanks to Plasmius side in Dan. The old school gentleman thing.

Hope you guys like it.


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